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The Union
The Union is a confederacy of several alien races and the chief rival of the Tymon. Initially a loose alliance, the races of the Union have since merged into a federated republic out of necessity in order to survive further attacks by the Tymon , as well as the innumerable other threats lurking in the galaxy. The Straal, by virtue of possessing the most territory and being both technically and militarily inclined, serve as the face of the Union. History Pre-Contact Era The Union was initially a much larger entity, with each race controlling at least fifteen worlds apiece; the Straal themselves held thirty worlds alone. The time before coming into contact with the Tymon was a golden age of peace and progress, both technologically and economically. The races enjoyed relatively blissful lives, ignorant of how hostile the galaxy truly was. Unfortunately, though the galaxy is a massive place, true peace is almost nonexistent, and it was almost inevitable that something would come along and put an end to their golden age. Eldar Machinations The Eldar, as many have come to understand, are an arrogant and self-serving race. In their minds, the only beings worth anything are other Eldar; the rest of the sentient species populating the galaxy are little more than pawns to be manipulated as they see fit. The Union was no exception and the Eldar of Craftworld Catu-Belah schemed to use it to serve their own ends. For thousands of years, the Tymon had regarded the Eldar as their sworn enemies, and vowed that they would one day exterminate all Eldar. Over the long centuries, they had become very effective at culling Eldar, with Catu-Belah having been the most recent recipients of their ire. Upon discovering the Union, the Eldar found a way to exact their vengeance. They lured the Tymon into the Union's area of space, counting on their xenophobic mentality to cause them to wage war against the members of the Union. When Tymon ships entered Union territory on 861.M37, the aliens sent representatives to greet them. Though they were far from primitive, the diplomats and indeed the whole Union were awed by the levels of technology the Tymon had at their beck and call. They offered promises of friendship and wealth to the Tymon and invited them to join their alliance. With such an advanced and powerful new ally, the Union would prosper even further than ever imagined. As for the Tymon, centuries of xenos hostility made them distrustful of aliens, particularly those who came offering friendship. Past experience said that such aliens would offer one hand in peace, and arm the other behind their backs. Still, the Tymon were content to humor the diplomats, if only to have the satisfaction of denying them directly. The Catu-Belah Eldar, however, were not about to have the Tymon ally with the Union and become even stronger. Discreetly, they managed to bend the minds of the crew of a Union cruiser and forced them to arm the self-destruct mechanism and attempt to ram a Tymon battleship. The cruiser was destroyed before it even came close to the battleship, but the damage was done. For the Tymon, this was just another confirmation that aliens could not be trusted. Though the Union pleaded innocence and argued as to why they would be foolish enough to try such an obviously futile attack, their words fell on deaf ears. The Tymon subsequently declared war on the Union and within a year, they had marshaled a massive armada, brimming with weapons of mass destruction and carrying hundreds of thousands of soldiers and vehicles, and millions upon millions of bio-soldiers. The Eldar of Catu-Belah were satisfied, convinced that the Tymon would now enter a long and bloody war. First Tymon-Union War Unfortunately, it soon became clear that the Eldar had both overestimated the Union's military capabilities and underestimated the Tymon's. Though the Union was far from ill-equipped for warfare, the Tymon had the benefit of superior weapons' technology and countless years of experience, as well as numerical superiority thanks to their bio-soldiers. The Tymon shattered the Union's forces in one battle after another, crushing all resistance and taking no prisoners. It was clear to the races of the Union that this was not a war of conquest; this was a war of extermination, and they were fighting for their very existence. Within the span of five years, the Tymon had conquered roughly two-thirds of Union territory and were steadily pushing them back further. For the Catu-Belah Eldar, this would not do. They needed the Union to last as long as possible to keep the Tymon distracted from themselves and other Eldar. It was clear that without intervention, the Union would not last much longer. With utmost haste, they made their way to a Tymon-controlled world where a splinter-fleet of Tyranids had been detected. The Eldar sent out a psychic beacon, drawing the splinter-fleet towards the world. As soon as the fleet entered the planet's orbit, they left. The Tymon stationed on the planet sent out a distress call, demanding that all available military forces assist them. The invasion force, being the closest, was forced to abandon its campaign and make for the besieged world. The Union rejoiced, the bloody war finally at an end and the invaders pulling out. Their jubilation was swiftly cut short as it became apparent just how badly the Tymon had mauled them. All races of the Union had lost the majority of their worlds to Tymon control and billions of lives had been lost. Though the Union had no idea what would have caused the Tymon to halt their advance, it was almost assured that they would be back. A New Age In the aftermath of the Tymon invasion, the Union merged into a single entity; together, they would pool their resources and knowledge to ensure that never again would they be so vulnerable. Before, the Union had focused more on economical pursuits, but now the science of warfare commanded their attention. New weapon prototypes were developed, each one more powerful than the last, but still pale shadows compared to the Tymon's own. The secrets behind the Tymon's bio-soldiers remained a mystery, as did much of their other technologies. Even the most optimistic of researchers held no delusions that they were capable of fending of another Tymon attack with their current level; unless a major breakthrough was made, the next war would be their last. Then, at long last, their prayers were answered. The Quaji, an all-psychic member race, proposed a revolutionary idea: to combine the technology of the Union with their own psychic talents. It was theorized that by utilizing warp energy, they would be capable of performing feats that would be physically impossible in the real universe. At first, this notion was scoffed at, with most of the other races believing such a feat impossible. Options, however, were of short supply and so it was that the finest scientists and most powerful and knowledgeable Quaji would combine their efforts to create this hybridization of science and sorcery. Years went by, and barely any progress was made. One project after another subsequently failed and it seemed as though the initial skepticism had been well-founded. Then finally, a breakthrough was made; an energy cannon, fueled by the power of the Immaterium, performed a successful trial. A single shot generated a tremendous amount of power, eclipsing all other weapon prototypes. Government The Union is a federal republic that comprises roughly 35 worlds and a few colonies. It is representative democracy, where its citizens vote on who attains positions of power and on whether or not new laws and policies are implemented. Leaders are elected to a certain amount of terms for a set period of time, typically two terms, each five years long. Individuals are afforded rights and protection from cruel and unusual punishment, a practice that is all but unheard of in the galaxy of today. While the structure of the Union may seem like a veritable utopia compared to such empires as the Imperium and even the Tau, such lofty ideals come with a price. One obvious consequence is that political gridlock can and does occur, and has cost the Union several battles. The simple fact of it all is that with multiple species involved, opinions and desires will inevitably differ. Military The armed forces of the Union are divided between two main forces: the Navy, which is responsible for maintaining the fleets of spaceships for war, and the Army, which encompasses the ground forces. The majority of the foot soldiers in the Army come from the Ushula who, thanks to their incredible birth and maturation rates, can sustain heavy losses and still be able to replenish their numbers with economical speed. Officers mostly come from the Straal, having a penchant for tactics. If either armed force is lucky, they will also have a Quaji Clairvoyant with them, which provides invaluable strategic advantages. Member Races Straal Homeworld: Shuuma The Straal are an amphibious race, able to breathe both water and air with equal ease. They are the largest and most powerful member of the Union races, controlling thirteen worlds and a number of lunar colonies. As such, the majority of the resources that the Union possesses comes from them. Unlike other races who are specialized in certain aspects, the Straal are well-rounded, adept in military and political scenarios and reasonable in economics. Before the First Tymon-Union War, they controlled an empire of thirty fully developed worlds, but lost most of them to the Tymon. As the most powerful member, they represent the face of the Union, establishing relations and having a firm grip on Union politics. Being natural pragmatists, when hard decisions have to be made, it is the Straal who usually make them. Militarily, they supply roughly a quarter of all the soldiers and equipment the Union has at its disposal. As a result of their amphibious physiology, if they did not have specially modified suits, Straal soldiers would find themselves hard-pressed to fight in any way in dry climates. Quaji Homeworld: A'Qath A bipedal cephalopodic race, the Quaji are an all-psychic race, much like the Eldar. Their personal dominion had been the smallest of the member races, and after the First Tymon-Union War, it was reduced to only their home-world, which had also been damaged during the war. As a result, the Quaji have the smallest population out of all member races. Though their appearance may be frightening, the Quaji are not a malicious race. In fact, they are quite willing to assist others, especially if it means bestowing their vast reserves of knowledge upon those who ask of them. Due to being almost entirely psychic, the Quaji have developed a number of safeguards against the depredations of the Warp, involving iron discipline and rigorous mental training. As a result, the Quaji boast some of the most powerful psykers in the galaxy. There are several paths a Quaji may pursue, though two are most common: the Path of Destruction, where they learn to utilize their powers for destructive purposes, such as hurling Warp-spawned lightning at enemies and the Path of Clairvoyance, where they are taught to sift through the threads of time and enable themselves to predict future events. These seers are considered crucial to the war effort, for they can think up incredible strategies that an enemy force would find hard to counter. Xarilians Homeworld: Xaril The Xarilians are a humanoid alien race and in fact look so much like a human that it is almost impossible to tell the difference. Only a keen eye would be able to see that a Xarilian is a bit thinner than a normal human and that the eye color is usually a vibrant green or blue, more so than in a human. However, the similarities between the two are only skin deep. The Xarilians' hearts are positioned on the right side of their chests, and have a few extra organs that humans don't have. Thanks to these similarities, they serve as infiltrators, as only a sharp-eyed individual will be able to spot them out. They have been so successful in their subterfuge that the Tymon have since taken to scanning individuals who go into important places. Xarilian spies know full well that, if they are caught, they can expect to enjoy the attentions of a Caresser Cultist, a prospect that is greatly feared. To ensure that they will not be taken alive, they carry a poison capsule in their mouths that will kill them in under three seconds. Sedalians Homeworld: Sunjo The Sedalians are a very scientific and technologically inclined race, thinking and moving faster than any other Union race. They are responsible for most of the advancements the Union has made, especially in war development programs. Unfortunately, while they are highly intelligent, Sedalians are all but incapable of actual combat. Their bodies cannot take the stress that battle produces, being frail and ill-suited to anything other than a support role. Marozians Ushula Homeworld: Balok The Ushula are a primitive and warlike race, native to a world of harsh climates and meager resources. Though they fight for the Union, they are not truly a member, being too backwards to have a say in running it. When the Union came across them, they were a tribal people, warring with each other over what little their world had to offer. Upon making contact, the Ushula treated the Union representatives as gods, awed by their technology and refusing to believe that they were mortal beings. The Union informed them of their own war beyond the stars, and begged them for help. In return, the Ushula would be given a new home and power they could only imagine. Needless to say, the offer was accepted. A male will stand between 7'-7'9 in height with females only slightly smaller. They possess two pairs of arms that allow them to manipulate several objects at once. Thanks to their unforgiving planet, the Ushula have evolved to be a very hardy race. Each one boasts multiple redundant organs, including two hearts, four lungs, two stomachs and a few others. Each organ is designed to be highly efficient, enabling an Ushula to make the most out of very little, as well as making them hard to kill. The most important aspect of their physiology, however, is their reproduction abilities which allow them to breed and mature at a remarkable speed. The Ushula now make up the majority of the soldiers in the Union armies, seeing it as an honor to fight and die for the gods who uplifted them. Category:Empires Category:Xenos